Toph Luck on Two Worlds
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: Sequel to Toph luck on Terra firma. Toph continues to adjust to her new life, and everything seems perfect...but can it last? Renamed for new inspiration.
1. Readjusting

1. Readjusting

"Now, Toph, I'm just thinking of your reputation. For a young lady to be regularly sharing a room with a boy her age-"

"Pops, I'm 16! I'm old enough to make my own decisions!"

"Not by the rules of this world. Not that I'm trying to run your life-"

"YOu'd better not be!"

"-but some consideration for your reputation, especially what with you being a public figure, might be appropriate and wise. I'm just trying to help."

"Since when am I a public figure?"

"You are a Teen Titan, young lady. That's about as public as it gets. More people in this world care about what's happening between the Teen Titans then they do what's happening between their world leaders."

"But that's stupid!"

Robin sighed. THis was the third time - this week - he'd heard this discussion between Toph and her father, Iroh. By now he knew all the arguements by heart. Toph insisted that all she and BB did was snuggle, which he beleived, or he'd never have allowed them to share her room as often as they did. Iroh was concerned about what tabloids and things would make of it if they got a hold of it, considering the media frenzy that had come of Robin and Starfire. Robin could see that point as well.

He wished he could get involved, help straighten it out, but Raven had told him flat out it would be a bad idea. "They only just learned they're related," she had told him. "They're still trying to figure out where they stand with each other right now. Don't get in the middle of it."

Robin shook his head. He knew she was right, but these arguements gave him headaches. Then Toph said something that caught everyone by surprise.

"Look, Dad...sleeping cuddled up to Beast Boy is the only way I have to keep myself from dreaming about him, and if I have too many more of those dreams...I can't guarantee that the next time we lie down together that snuggling is all we'll do, and I'm not ready for that."

Robin spun around. Dreams? What was she talking about...Robin's face turned beet red. But she was blind! How could she have those kinds of dreams?

Iroh, however, nodded sagely. "I see. These dreams...have you talked to anyone about them? I could explain it to you if you like, but..." He was obviously quite embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Dad." Toph seemed relieved. "Raven explained it all to me when I had the first one."

Robin stared at Raven, who was pointedly reading her book next to Jinx. Robin still couldn't figure out why they spent so much time together.

"I see," Iroh said, sounding relieved. "Then...you are aware of what people might think if it got out that he shared your bed so frequently?"

"Yeah, I know what people would think." She made a rude noise. "And that's what I think of their opinions. I don't care what people think of how I live my life, and neither does BB. We'll live our lives how we choose, and those people can make of it what they choose."

Iroh smiled at his daughter. "Then I have nothing more to say on the matter. I'm so happy you have found someone to be with who you feel so strongly for...and feels so strongly for you."

"Dad..." Toph smiled, ran forward, and threw her arms around Iroh.

Robin smiled. It seemed his headaches were over.

After a while of just standing there holding each other, with Starfire squeeling in the background and everyone else just smiling, Iroh grinned. "So...when's the wedding? And when can I expect grandchildren?"

"DAD!"

Robin sighed. Here we go again... 


	2. Voices in the dark

2. Voices in the Dark

Toph flinched backward from the shadows that surrounded her. Darkness didn't bother her normally, because her Earth bending let her see, but these...they felt suffocating, opressive, crushing. And there was something there...something in the dark, watching her, seeking something.

It wanted something from her. And she was terrified.

The presence suddenly appeared in her mind's eye. Immense, powerful, ancient...it filled her mind.

*Give me that which I desire...* the voice said in her mind, and the voice had the terrible power of a volcano and the irresistable force of an earthquake, as though the entire Earth were behind it, turning against her to claim something from her.

She screamed.

"Toph! Toph, wake up!"

Toph shot awake. She was in her room, in her bed. She was shivering, unable to stop the almost convulsive shakes. She'd never been so terrified in her whole life.

Beast Boy had shaken her awake. She clung to him. "Garfield..." she whispered quietly, tears falling from her eyes.

He held her close. She had started calling him by his real name in private, an affectionate closeness. He was worried about her right now. She had always been so strong, nothing fazing her. But now...she clung to him like a child seeking comfort, shaking and shivering in fear. The only time he'd ever seen anything like this in anyone...

...was when Raven was being actively hunted by her father.

"Toph..." he whispered. "Whatever it was...it was just a bad dream..."

"No," she said, "it was more than that." She told him about the dream, and his eyes widened.

"Come on," he said, helping her to her feet. "We're gonna go see Raven. She'll know what this is all about."

"This time of night she'll be in Jinx' room," Toph said without thinking, then winced.

Garfield looked at her. "Why would she be-OH!" He wasn't as slow on the uptake as most people thought. He chuckled. "Well, at least she has someone. No one should have to be alone." He led Toph down the corridor, still chuckling.

When they got to Jinx' door, he sniffed and grinned. "You were right. SHe's in here. Time for a slumber party." He turned into an insect and slipped under the door...and slipped right back out. He changed back into himself, the heat from his face showing he was clearly blushing. "Maybe we should ask her in the morning...she's busy."

Toph raised an eyebrow. Her bending didn't show either Raven or Jinx in the room...which meant they were floating. Eyes wide, she blushed. "YOu mean...they're..."

Gar nodded. "They're quite...energetic..."

"How come we don't hear anthing?"

"Sound suppression spell."

"Right." She turned away. "Maybe Dad can explain the dream then."

"We can give it a try," he said.

They went to Iroh's door and knocked. They heard loud snoring from the other side. Gar pounded hard, but there was still no response. Changing into a housefly, he slipped under the door. There was a sudden startled oath from inside followed by the sound of fire being thrown in shock, and Gar zipped out, changing back. "He nearly burned my wing!"

"What did you do?"

"Flew in his ear and yelled wake up."

Toph giggled.

Iroh opened the door, took in Toph's shaken state and Beast Boy's determined expression, and nodded. "Alright, i can tell this is important. Come in."

Once they were settled, Toph told him about the dream. He nodded.

"It sounds like you were in contact with a spirit of some sort...but not one I recognize. Then again, I don't know anything about the spirits of this world, so we'd be better off asking Raven. Perhaps we should wake her."

"She's a little busy at the moment," Toph said blandly.

"I take it that means we can't ask Jinx, either?"

Toph goggled at her father. "You knew about that?"

"Please...probably the only one in the tower it's not obvious to is our resident detective."

BB and Toph chuckled. Iroh stood up.

"Perhaps Cyborg can give us some illumination."

"Cyborg won't be up for another few hours," BB stated. "And when he's in his recharge cycle, only the Tower alarm will wake him up."

The tower alarm went off.

"Like that," BB said, as they ran towards the common room.

At the common room, Robin was the first one there. He looked a little mussed. Starfire was there too, also looking a bit mussed. Cyborg raised an eyebrow when he saw this.

Robin addressed everyone. "Titans! We've got trouble downtown, and-" He stopped, staring at Raven and Jinx. They were still in their bedclothes, and looked very...mussed. "What happened to you two?"

"I tripped in the hall," Raven said quickly.

"Tripped over Raven," Jinx followed up with quickly.

"Well, be more careful-" he paused when everyone giggled or chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"NOTHING!" everyone said simultaniously.

"Alright then," he said, looking a little perturbed. "Titans, get battle ready and let's go!"

The Titans rushed off to get dressed, then headed for the scene of the crime. 


	3. Shadow Alliance, Puppet Macabre

3. Shadow Alliance, Puppet Macabre

She sat in her cell, staring at nothing, stewing about all that had become of her, lost in her madness. Then a voice spoke in her mind, a voice of power ancient and terrible, a voice that drove back her madness and awoke wher desires.

The voice said, "I have need of thee."

Looking up, she looked for the source of the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

The guards shifted nervously. This prisoner gave them the creeps.

The voice spoke in her mind again. "Don't bother...I am not there physically...but that does not mean I cannot aid you."

The girl paused in her search, her eyes cold and calculating. "I'm listening."

"I come to you with an offer and a request."

"A deal you mean?" The girl smiled. "Let's hear the terms."

"You desire power? I offer you the power of a thousand suns burning inside you. You desire vengeance? I will aid you in hunting down those who brought you low, enemies and traitors all, so you may crush them beneath your boot. You wish to rule? I offer to you the throne of TWO worlds...as my queen."

"...and what's in it for you? What do you want me to do?"

"Simply be my herald, and aid me in loosing me upon the worlds, so we may rule together!"

The girl was quiet for a time. "Who are you?" she asked at last.

"I have had many names, but none that have reached your world's mortal history. THey would be meaningless to you. ...you may call me Hellfire, if you wish."

She smirked. "Hellfire, huh? I like it." She took one last glance around her cell. "Set me free, and you have a deal."

The guards turned, ready to take action, but a rift in the air opened, and a large red hand ectended a clawed finger to touch the prisoner on her forehead, and a symbol appeared there: a twisted crimson S, with other markings.

Her chains shattered as power flooded her. Flames leaped from her body, searing the guards into the walls, leaving a glassy finish. Standing up, she shook herself off. She looked at herself in the reflection cast by the glass. She touched the mark. "Is this permanent?" she asked the voice.

"You may hide it, if you wish. But it will appear when you call on the power I have gifted you with."

She looked at herself. "I'm a mess. Prison definitely disagrees with me." Raising a hand to her hair, she suddenly froze.

Red sparks surrounded her. Her hair grew out long, straightening itself naturally, shifting until it cascaded down over one shoulder. Her prison clothes became a sparking crimson dress, complete with well shaped shoes. A tiara set with blood red gems surmounted her raven hair. The dirt, dust, and bruises of nearly a half decade of prison vanished, leaving her skin once more clean and flawless.

"Better?" Hellfire asked her. "I must admit, you do clean up lovely."

She smiled into the reflection. "Show me your face," she said suddenly.

A face appeared in the glass, next to her reflection. The face was blood red, with four glowing red eyes and two bone white antlers. "Well?" the mouth shaped as the voice asked in her head.

She examined the face carefully. "Hmm...we'll just have to see how you do in...other physical areas. But for now..." She smiled, a cold smile many had learned to hate and fear. "We have work to do."

Robin swung in with the others at the scene...where all was chaos.

Several police officers were lying on the ground, apparently unconcious. Several buildings were on fire. Most of the people had scattered.

"Titans, careful. We have no idea what caused this." Pulling out his bo staff, he began to walk carefully.

"These policemen are all paralyzed," Raven said.

"There's no trace of any poisons or chemical agents," Cyborg said, confused.

"Listen!" Starfire proclaimed.

Nearby, soft sobbing could be heard. She flew over to it. A girl cowered in the alleyway, sobbing.

"Are you alright?" Star asked her.

"Did you see who did this?" Robin asked.

"...please help me..." the girl whispered, curled in the fetal position.

"Tell us, please, how may we be of assistence?" Starfire floated forward a little.

"Please...kill me."

Starfire shot back. "But...why would you want us to do that?"

"So I can't do this." The girl suddenly stood, tears falling from her eyes, and lunged.

Robin and Starfire barely had time to react. A few rapid strikes to certain parts of their bodies and they collapsed.

Robin shouted. "Titans, careful! This girl's able to paralyze you with physical strikes! It's similar to shiatsu!"

Jinx danced forward, ready to strike, but the girl was faster. As acrobat fought acrobat, Jinx came in second, quickly paralyzed. "Whatever she's doing, it's blocking my hex bolts."

Toph suddenly put what she was hearing together with what she was seeing through her feet. "Tai Lee? What are you doing?"

"Toph?" Tai Lee glanced over in shock. "I'm in this world? Please, save me, somehow!" She lunged forward.

Toph attempted to stop her, but she was limited by not wanting to hurt her. Because of this, it wasn't long before she, Beast Boy, and Raven were on the ground, paralyzed and unable to use their powers. Only Cyborg remained.

Elsewhere, a voice spoke. "See? I told you she'd make a good puppet, Hellfire. She hasn't even shown all her tricks, and already the entire team is out of commission. It won't take much to do a clean sweep."

"Don't be so confident. One remains."

"Oh, him. He'll go down quick."

Tai Lee turned. "Please...kill me!" she begged Cyborg, as she lunged forward.

CLANG!

Her fists connected with his metal chasis without impression. Cybrorg grinned. "Most of my body's metal. Chi blocking strikes won't do any good. I run on electricity. Speaking of which..." As her next strike came, he caught her arm. When he caught the other one, she kicked him between his legs, and there was another clang. "You aren't in control of yourself just now. Don't worry, we'll find a way to fix that." Suddenly, blue light flared over Cyborg and Ty Lee, and her hair stood on end. When it faded, she struggled a little, and the light flared again. She slumped into unconciousness.

Elsewhere, a voice cursed. "You didn't mention he had no chi!"

"You didn't mention that was how she did her work. No matter. This was but a test run. Release her from your power."

"..." She grinned. "I like how you think." She waved a hand. In her veiwing pool red light drifted off of Tai Lee and back to her. "I like this power. I like it quite a bit. So...when do we plan on kiilling them. Not too soon, I hope?"

"Don't worry. Soon enough, but not so soon as to be unenjoyable. The...timing must be right."

"Oh, I know all about timing things right." She took a closer look, and grinned. "Besides...I've always enjoyed the darker side of politics: intruige, assassination..." She watched the tender look Cyborg was giving Tai Lee as he lifted her unconcious bodies and the others paralyzedbodies into their vehicle, "...betrayal." 


	4. Recovery

4. Recovery

Cyborg monitored everyone's vitals back at the tower. "Well, other than being unable to move, you all seem just fine."

"If Tai Lee wakes up in control of herself, she can reverse this. Otherwise, it should wear off in about an hour or so," Toph said calmly.

"Actually..." Iroh spoke up. A few quick strikes and he had everyone moving again. "She taught me a few reversal techniques one day when she stopped by my tea shop. She said I was an excellent student."

Toph smiled as she shook herself out. "Thanks, Dad."

Tai Lee suddenly awoke. "Please, you have to stop me!" SHe shot forward, grabbing Cyborg by the arms. "You have to stop me before...I..." She looked at her arms in shock, then moved them oddly. "I...I have control of my body again." She looked up at Cyborg, her eyes shining. "Your blue light...you saved me!" Lunging forward, she planted a big kiss right on Cyborg's lips. "YOu saved me! How can I ever repay you?"

As Cyborg got rather dazed, Toph laughed. "I'd say you're well on your way, Tai Lee. So what happened to you? It looked like someone was Blood Bending you, but it's not a full moon."

Tai Lee shuddered. "It was horrible. That voice...that terrible, cold voice..." She shook a bit more.

Robin stepped up. "I know it's hard...but anything you can tell us will help us help you, as well as protect the city from whatever was controlling you."

Tai Lee nodded. "I was with the other Kyoshi warriors, back on Kyoshi Island for furlogh and extra training...Sokka was there with Suki, so training wasn't as serious as it should have been." She smiled at Toph's chuckle. "Anyway, it was the middle of the night, and I heard a very cold voice, one that was almost - but not quite - familiar. It - she - said, 'Her. We'll use her.'" She shuddered. "Next thing I know, a huge red hand appeared in my room and grabbed me. No one even heard my screams as it pulled me into the fire." She began to shake convulsively.

Cyborg rested his arm over her shoulders. "It's okay. They can't hurt you now."

She shook her head. "It gets worse. When I came too, I saw...but it couldn't have been her! She's locked up and crazy! But it was, and she said...she said I would pay now, for my betrayal...but when she waved her hand, red light came out and engulfed me. After that, I couldn't control my body anymore." She shook again. "And the evil spirit that was helping her...she called him Hellfire, and he called her 'my lady'."

Raven's head snapped up. "The evil spirit...did you see it?"

Tai Lee nodded. "Red...with four eyes and antlers. And an aura of evil..." She shuddered again.

The original Titans all looked at each other. "Trigon," they said together.

Toph looked up. "Okay, who is Trigon?"

Raven spoke up. "My father."

Toph winced. "And here I thought my cousin had the family ties bad, with his father and sister..." She turned towards Iroh, her eyes wide.

"Azula!" they said together.

"But...but Azula's locked up!" Tai Lee insisted. "And crazy! It can't be her...can it?"

"If Trigon empowered her as his enw herald, she could easily have control of herself and break out of any prison your world can concieve of," Raven spoke up. "I should know. It's not the first time he's pulled something like this. But I wonder what he offered her to make her make a deal with a demon..."

"Freedom, power, vengeance...Azula has a LOT of nasty desires," Toph spoke up. "If Trigon's as powerful as you intimate, she'd jump at the chance to be on his side...and if he didn't know that about her, he might have offered more than he needed to...and Azula is VERY good at getting the better of any deal she partakes of."

Iroh shook his head. "The greatest evils of our two worlds have joined forces. THis is a very bad day for us."

"Look," Robin spoke up. "If Azula was in prison, then she was obviously beaten before. And we've beaten Trigon before, too. And this time, we know they're coming, and something of what they're capable of. We can handle this."

"I'm not so sure," Toph spoke up. "From all I've seen, heard, and been told, Azula plays games like Slade does, but she makes him look like a rank arrogant amatuer. You're dealing with a female Slade teamed up with Trigon, but one who DOESN'T take chances unless she's already certain of victory...and one who enjoys watching people squirm far more than she enjoys crushing them. She'll toy with us, just for the thrill of watching us struggle."

Cyborg shrugged. "You've faced her before. You know how she operates. And we know her motive. Anyone like Slade who got beat as badly as you're telling us is bound to be out for vengeance."

Beast Boy nodded. "Don't worry, we can handle this. Besides," he smirked, "Tai Lee has known Azula for years. Every little bit she can tell us about her gives us one more weapon in our arsenal against her."

Tai Lee looked up, nodding. "I'll tell you all I can. Just...just don't let her do that to me again..."

Cyborg pulled her into his arms without thinking. "Don't worry, you're safe with us..."

Elsewhere, Azula smirked. "Trigon, huh? I must say, I like Hellfire better. You never mentioned you had a daughter."

"It wasn't important," Trigon explained. "At least I didn't think so."

"So were you married?"

"I was. Not anymore. Why? Does it...bother you?"

"Not at all." Azula tossed her head. "I prefer my men to be experienced, anyway." She looked closer at the viewing pool. "Why does that blind girl call my Uncle 'Dad'?"

"Because he is. It turns out the man she thought was her father was impotent, and Iroh was the stallion in the paddock, as it were."

Azula stared down at Toph. "She's mine, then. To think, had we known that before, SHE would have been Fire Lord, not Zuko." She smiled coldly. "I wonder if she's thought about that." Looking elsewhere, she smiled wider. "Then again, she probably hasn't been thinking about anything besides that green boy." She chuckled evilly. "So many stress points, so many ways to break them." She laughed aloud.

Trigon smiled down on his new herald. She was...intruiging. She was of his own mind, and her twisting thought process was everything he could hope for in a mortal. He knew she might try to backstab him one day...but he also saw in her mind that she wouldn't do that so long as NOT doing so was more advantageous to her. A sociopath, modern parlance called her. Back in his day, they were called demon-men. She even looked FORWARD to one day bearing his offfspring. It would be so easy to keep her pleased with the situation. Her tastes reflected his so well...and the fire inside her called out to his own.

He smiled down at her. "Would you care for another puppet in the meantime?" The viewing pool shifted, showing a man in a two color mask. "Someone else I seek vengeance against."

Azula looked down on the man in the pool. "What's his name?"

"He calls himself Slade."

Azula smiled. "He seems like fun." 


	5. Waiting it Out

5. Waiting it Out

Toph wandered the halls, thinking things through. There was a lot going on now, and she wasn't sure how to handle it all. It seemed like her past was destined to be a part of her future.

Azula...even the name still gave her nightmares. That girl was just plain creepy, and the idea of her here in this world - and with help from a demon as strong as Trigon - scared her. She knew how Azula thought, having faced her before. She would be out for blood...and if she found out about the recently revealed family ties...

Toph headed out to the beach. Although she could feel vibrations through metal as easily as Earth now, natural Earth still felt best under her feet. There was something comforting about being linked to the world directly.

She remembered what Katara had told her about the final fight between Zuko and Azula. Azula was especially brutal about taking down family. And now...now Toph WAS family.

She sat down, picking up a rock and casually skipping it across the bay. Suddenly she clutched at her head.

She was in the place of her dreams again. "By the gods, not now!"

*Give me what I desire...* the voice said again in her mind, but her supply of awed fear was used up.

"Look, I don't even know what it is you want, or even who you are! And besides, I've got bigger problems right now then a voice that won't get out of my head. You see-"

*Trigon shall not touch my chosen!*

Toph paused. "...you're Gaea, aren't you? The spirit of the Earth in this world."

There was a sensation of smugness, and tolerant amusement. Although there were no words, it conveyed the feeling that Toph had pointed the obvious out.

"What do you want from me, then?"

*This world is unbalanced. Evil spirits are able to run rampant because of this. Fix it.*

"Look, I'm just an Earthbender! I can't bend all four elements! How am I supposed to be your Avatar?"

*Give me what I desire! Give me my Avatar!*

Toph's eyes widened. "You don't want me...you want my child!"

*One born of two worlds, of earth and wilderness...the invincible bloodline that will balance the world...give it to me!*

Toph suddenly snarled. "I don't like your tone, or your attitude. I'm not even married yet, so any child is gonna be a long time coming...and is going to chose their OWN destiny! No one is going to run their lives for them...any more than I've ever let anyone run MY life!"

There was silence for a time. *This world must be balanced.*

"And it will be...eventually! You waited a long time for me. I guarantee, any of my descendants will have the same attitude towards their abilities as I do, of waiting and listening. After all, I'll be their teacher. You can wait until one of them chooses to do what you need."

The silence was deafening. *Very well. THe blessing of Gaea upon the bloodline, and the mother of the bloodline.*

There was a sudden flare of power, and a sudden shift. Toph was back on the beach. Time hadn't passed. Her rock was still skipping across the water. Did it really happen?

*I am with you, child.*

The voice was softer now, but still recognizable. It had the softness of windblown grass, of growing things. It was Gaea's life giving side. Toph grinned. Getting up, she brushed herself off and turned to head into the Tower. She paused as she passed by the gym. Standing outside, she listened for a time.

"You sure you should be this active? You were just through a pretty rough situation."

That was Cyborg. Who was he talking to?

"Don't worry about it, Roboto-san!" A giggle. "I gotta stay in shape!"

That was Tai Lee. She always did bounce back fast.

"Well, if you're certain. I just don't know how ou do half those-WATCH OUT!"

"No worries, Cyborg. I got this! Wow, this place is great. It feels like I'm back in the circus!"

"You were in the circus?"

"Yep. Highwire, trapeeze, contortionist...just about anything physical, I did for fun!"

Cyborg chuckled. "I can see you've got things under control. I guess I'll just-Oomph!"

Tai Lee had dropped down from the rafters with enough force to knock Cyborg onto his back, with her sitting lightly on his chest. "Stay."

"...okay."

Chuckling, Toph went onward. She rushed past where Robin and Starfire were 'researching possible enemy countermeasures', doing her best not to see what was going on in there. She took the same approach going past the room where Raven and Jinx were 'practicing their magic'.

Coming to her own room, she sighed and opened the door. Stepping in, someone hopped out of the air, covering her eyes.

"Guess who," Garfield whispered.

She laughed. "Gar, does that even make any sense? I don't use my eyes to see, after all."

"In that case..." Scooping her up, he tossed her onto the bed, catching her feet in his hands. "Guess who?"

She giggled. "Gar, that tickles!"

"Really?" He grinned and started gently stroking the bottoms of her feet.

She fell back on the bed, laughing herself silly. "Cut it out!" she cried breathlessly.

Laughing, he plopped down next to her. She pulled him into her arms. "Toph?" he asked, surprised at how quickly the laughs left.

"Let's just stay like this for a while, okay?"

Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her. "Okay."

They lay like that for some time. "Gar?" Toph asked, drowsily.

"Yeah?"

"You know that dream I had that you overheard me asking Raven about, the day before you asked me out?"

"Yeah?" He was a little nervous now.

"Do you ever dream about me like that?"

Garfield was very quiet for a time. "Yes. Almost every night."

Toph blushed. "Could...could you tell me about 'em?"

"Uhh..." 


	6. Finding Peace

6. Finding Peace

It had been a long day. Robin had decided they should go out and search for Azula and Trigon - or any sign of them - through Jump City, thinking going on the offensive might help them to catch the enemy off guard. They had all searched high and low, but had found nothing. Tai Lee had insisted on helping, and had been teamed up with Cyborg. This got several smirks from other teammates, which Robin STILL didn't understand. For a great detective's apprentice, he sure was dense when it came to people. Personally, Toph wondered what Starfire had to do to get it across to him that she liked him.

The girls had once again claimed the bath house area for cleaning up, much to the boys chagrin, as the "no peeping or eavesdropping" rule was enforced with powers.

As Toph scrubbed at herself, Tai Lee plopped gracefully next to her, wrapping her up in a hug. "It's good to see you again, Toph!" Tai Lee pipped up.

"It's good to 'see' you again, too, Tai Lee, but I'm trying to clean up, and-"

"Oh! I'll scrub your back!" Tai Lee preceeded to do just that.

Toph sighed. "You want to girl talk, don't you?"

"If it's not too much trouble..."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not? But wait till we're in the hot spring, okay? THat way the other girls can join in, too."

"Okay...it's just..."

"You had something you wanted to talk with me about somewhat privately?"

"...yeah..."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Umm...do you think everyone will accept me? I mean, when we first met, I was trying to kill all of you."

"You weren't in control of yourself. Or are you reffering to our first meeting in our world?"

Tai Lee was quiet for a while. "You must think I'm rather silly..."

"Never stopped me from liking you before!"

They shared a quiet laugh. Once they were both clean, they clambered into the hot spring.

"Now, let us enjoy the talk of the girls!" Starfire cried joyfully.

"Yeah, that sounds like..." Jinx trailed off, staring at Tai Lee. "Could you NOT do that here, please? It's straining just watching you."

"Oh, sorry." Tai Lee took her knee from behind her head and returned her leg to it's normal position.

"Geez," Raven said, shaking her head. "It's like you're part cat, or something."

"Nya? :3" Tai Lee said jokingly, putting one hand up to her face and making paw motions.

Starfire squealed and pulled her into a tight hug. "You're so cute!" General laughter greeted this reaction.

"So," Tai Lee began, "Toph, what was it about Beast Boy that drew you?"

Toph smiled. "Well, for a start, I've always liked funny guys, and he's really funny." There was a noticable beat.

"But looks aren't everything!" everyone but Tai Lee said aloud, followed by laughter.

Tai Lee looked confused. "I don't get it." More laughter.

Toph got herself under control. "Well, he's a real sweetheart. He's always there for me, no matter what. I'm pretty sure lately I'm all he's been thinking about."

"I can confirm that," Raven said, a trace of annoyance in her voice. "His thoughts - and dreams - are quite loud."

Toph blushed. Last night, Garfield had told her about some of his dreams about her...just thinking about them caused her to flush as red as a tomato, according to Jinx. "Yeah...anyway." Toph cleared her throat. "He's really compassionate, and his friend's are always his first thoughts. He always tries to take care of everyone, but not in a smothering way. And heaven help anyone who messes with those he considers 'his'."

Tai Lee smirked. "I remember what he did to Mr. Bei Fong."

"Yeah..." Toph smiled at the memory. "Also, he's really strong, a lot stronger than he looks. We often wrestle, you know, and it's anyone's game most times."

"Wrestle? Is that what you're calling it?" Raven asked, a wicked smile on her face.

Toph's face colored. "No! We haven't done anything more than cuddle and exchange a few kisses! I mean actual wrestling!"

"I'm just teasing you," Raven said, still smirking.

Toph sighed. "To be perfectly honest...it's been pretty hard lately to stick to that...for both of us."

"Don't let Iroh hear that," Jinx spoke up, "or he might come down harder on you two sharing a bed."

Toph nodded. Then she changed the subject. "So Tai Lee, why Cyborg?"

Tai Lee got dreamy. "He broke the spell that bound me, saving me from a fate worse than death, and bringing me back to the light! He is my Prince Charming, me Knight in Shining Armor, and we shall live happily ever after!" She sighed.

Everyone else groaned.

Tai Lee smiled at them. "He's a really great guy, kind, charming, a bit aggressive at times...reminds me a lot of Sokka, but better. Especially cause he's single!"

"Not for long," Toph said, smirking at her.

Tai Lee shrugged. "I'm working on him. I was just hoping he might invite me to bunk with him."

Raven shook her head. "He's too much of a gentleman."

"Then he'll be too much of a gentelman to refuse if I request it?" she asked eagerly.

There were a ew groans, but that was Tai Lee all over.

The girls came out into the common room. The boys were waiting. Starfire floated down next to Robin, cuddling up to him. Raven and Jinx sat down together. Toph tackled Beast Boy to the couch, tussling for a bit before settling down, wrapped up in each other. Tai Lee hopped up and positioned herself on Cyborg's shoulders, leaning around behind his head.

"Umm...you could use the sofa..." Cyborg suggested nervously.

"I'm comfortable here." She smiled at him. "it's not a problem, is it?"

He hastily assured her it wasn't.

Iroh, being the only one unencumbered, stood up. "Okay, everyone, what do we want to watch for movie night?"

"Comedy!"

"Horror!"

"Drama!"

"Action!"

"Sci-fi!"

"Fantasy!"

"They all look the same to me!" Laughter greeted Toph's comment.

Iroh selected a tape. "How about this?" he asked.

"Oh, Hamlet!" Cyborg grinned. "That play's pretty good. The bit at the end is pretty dark, though, when that messenger comes in? And he says-"

Suddenly, the door's burst open. Everyone spun.

Cheshire stood there, looking bruised, battered, burned, and beaten. She stood there for a while, and her mask - soot streaked and cracked - fell off her face, shattering on the floor. Tears streamed from her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse.

"Titans East are dead..." she said, before collapsing in a dead faint. 


	7. The Stages of Grief

7. The Stages of Grief

It was an ordinary day at Titans East. Bumblebee, Mas & Menos, Aqualad, Terra, and Speedy were hanging in the Ops Center.

Suddenly, the door blasted inward. Azula stepped through the smoke, grinning. "Play time, boys and girls," she said. "Let's see how well you do!"

Bumblebee immediately flew towards Azula, stingers charged...and was consumed by a stream of blue fire. Her last scream pettered out as the flame struck the opposite wall. A sooty imprint outlinging her silouhette was all that remained of her.

Aqualad leapt forward with a scream, pulling water from everywhere around him to smash Azula to the ground. But she moved too fast, seizing Aqualad by his head, grinning. Aqualad screamed as fire erupted inside him, burning him slowly from the inside out, leaving nothing but ash.

Terra lunged to the attack, ripping a huge chunk of Earth out of the ground to slam into Azula, but she smashed through it. Reaching Terra, she slammed a hand into her forehead and gut. There was a breif flare of red and yellow light, and then the yellow light was consumed by the red. Terra fell backward, once more a statue, and fell off the raised platform, shattering as she hit the ground below.

Mas and Menos charged in, trying to catch her off guard...and ran right into a wall of fire she raised. As they stumbled, she darted in and ripped Mas' head off.

"MAS!" Menos grief stricken wail was heart wrenching. He tried to say more, but Azula suddenly seized him and spun. The bladed arrow Speedy had aimed at her went right through Menos' heart.

"You bitch!" Speedy shouted, pulling out a quantumn arrow. He drew it back to fire.

Azula dropped Menos and began trailing her fingers in wide arcs, trailing electricity. As Speedy fired his quantumn arrow, she launched a lightning bolt. The lightning consumed the arrow, and punched through Speedy's chest, slamming him back into the elevator, collapsing it on top of him.

"ROY!" The window shattered as Cheshire busted in through the glass, weapons drawn. She lunged for Azula. Slashing at her intensely, the precision of the strokes driven by blind fury, her rage only increased as Azula easily dodged each and every one.

"Amatuer," she said dismissively, kneeing Cheshire in the gut and smacking her in the face with a flaming backhand, sending her flying. "You're hardly worth my time."

Cheshire struggled to her feet, her mask cracked and burned. She lunged again.

Azula easily parried her attacks, smacking her around, obviously toying with her. Finally, she seemed to grow bored. She seized Cheshire by her arms. Cheshire screamed in pain as Azula's grip burned into her arms. Azula grinned, but was caught off guard when Cheshire, still in agony, reared back and slammed her masked face into Azula's nose!

Azula staggered back, dropping Cheshire. "You're a fiesty one," she said, touching her nose. It was badly broken from the impact, and leaking blood. Red sparks spilled from her touch, and it was healed. "Fighting you will be...interesting."

Cheshire was on the ground, barely able to move. Azula smirked over her. "I'm feeling generous, so I'm going to let you live...to carry news of what happened here to the other heroes, so they will know the fate that awaits them, and despair." Turning, she bent more lightning and, smiling at the camera, launched it.

The image turned to static as the tape ended. No one said a word.

After a time, Cheshire broke the silence. "After frying the cameras, she disappeared in a pillar of flame, laughing. When I was able to move again, I recovered the security tape, so you could see what I didn't. I...I was there to see Roy, to talk about our relationship. I heard the ruckus from the harbor, and climbed the glass wall to see what was happening...just in time to see the lightning kill him." Cheshire fell silent, seeming numb.

Toph was the first to speak up. "Relationship?"

"We were...intimate," Cheshire said, her voice dead.

"Oh." Everyone was deathly quiet, staring at the screen. "Will someone tell me what just happened?"

Raven, managing to control herself, communicated with Toph psychically, describing what they had just witnessed. It was all Toph could do not to throw up.

Starfire suddenly burst into tears, wailing at the top of her voice. Robin pulled her into his arms, desperately trying to comfort her as tears fell from his own mask. Tai Lee tried to comfort Cyborg as best she could, as he'd walked over to a wall, slamming his fist into it repeatedly, cursing. Raven and Jinx just held each other, trying not to think about what they'd just witnessed. Iroh rested a hand on Toph's shoulder, but she shrugged it off, following Beast Boy as he fled the room.

She found him in Terra's old room, curled up in the form of a dog, whimpering. Toph knew there was nothing she could do or say to make the pain go away. She knew, although he wasn't in love with Terra anymore, he had been really happy she had managed to live her own life. Seeing her killed that way had broken him inside. She did all she could do. She pulled him into her arms, holding him tight as he whimpered, trying not to break inside.

Eventually, he turned back into himself, shrugging his own grief inside in an attempt to comfort her. "It's...it's gonna be okay, Toph."

"It's my fault," she whispered. "If I weren't here, Azula couldn't have come to this world and killed all your friends. I-"

"Don't say that!" he snapped, suddenly angry. "Toph, you have done more good for everyone - me especially - than you can possibly imagine, and you can't blame yourself for the actions of a psychopath! Don't you dare start with that!" He held her tightly, having set aside his own grief for the moment to help the one he loved.

Toph held onto him, letting her tears fall, both giving and receiving comfort. "What...what do we do now?" she asked after some time.

He was silent for a while. Then his eyes hardened. "We make her pay."

"Say that again, Cheshire?" Robin asked, surprised.

It was a few hours later. The team had managed to work through the worst of their grief, and then Cheshire had spoken up, catching them all off guard.

"I said I want to join you. You're going after Azula, right?"

"Yes. We're going to take her down, and take her down hard." Robin slammed his fist into his palm.

"I want in. I wasn't a friend of the others...but I'm going to see her pay dearly for killing the man I loved! I will paint the ground red with her blood!" Drawing one of her knives, she drew it along the inside of her arm, and kissed the stain left on the blade. "I swear my blood oath, I will not rest until the one who murdered my beloved lies dead at my feet! If you're going after her, I'm with you." She wrapped a bandage around the cut on her arm, binding it tight.

Robin was silent. He knew about the League of Shadows that Cheshire belonged to. He knew from his mentor that what Cheshire had just done was considered an unbreakable vow. So long as Speedy was dead, Cheshire would do whatever it took to take the life of the one who killed him. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. It's not the first time a former villain joined our ranks, after all." Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a communicator. "You realise this means you'll have to take orders from me, right?"

"I will do whatever it takes," she said, taking the communicator from him.

"Do...do you want your mask repaired?" he asked, gesturing to the fragments.

She looked at it for a time. "No," she said finally. Reaching into the sleeve of her robe, she pulled out various small pots. She proceeded to paint the color pattern of the mask upon her own face. On the mask, it had been scary in an almost comic way. On her face, though...it was a mask of death. "I will not wear a mask anymore. I shall hunt Azula wherever she may be...in this world, or the next."

Robin nodded. He couldn't argue with her. He knew what that last sentiment meant. She did not intend to outlive Azula by very long once the hunt was concluded. "Alright. Welcome to the Teen Titans, Cheshire."

"Call me Jade," she said bluntly.


	8. Blood and Stone

8. Blood and Stone

Toph walked back towards the Tower slowly. It had been an...awkward shopping trip. After several long discussions about such things with Raven, Tai Lee, Jinx, and Starfire, she had gone shopping for...more enticing sleepwear.

It wasn't just about getting Beast Boy to drool all over her, as Raven put it. She didn't need sexy undergarments to get that. It was something Jinx had said to her that had made her really think about it.

"It's about how you feel, wearing something silky and sensual against your skin...it makes you feel so much more...womanly, I guess you could call it. It's empowering."

Toph had shrugged it off at the time, but...it kept coming back to her. Despite everything Beast Boy had said about her, she had to confront it herself: she was not as in touch with her feminine side as she could be. And, what with being in a committed relationship, and thinking about the future...she wanted to change that, maybe just a little. And the wide variety of options in underthings this world offered gave her a way to do that without really sacrificing anything. She could wear something soft, silky, and distinctly feminine against her skin...without changing her outer wardrobe a jot.

The problem was that there really wasn't anyone she could ask to go with her to help. Jinx was way too in to it, which would probably lead to something a LOT more...well, MORE...than she was ready for. Raven didn't bother with such things at all. Tai Lee was quickly following Jinx' example. And Starfire...Toph only knew one thing about color, and that was that she didn't do pink.

Now, the rather obvious solution had suggested itself...and been quickly pushed from her mind. She didn't think she was quite ready to have Garfield pick out underthings for her. As such, she had gone to the store and done the most frightening thing of her entire time in this world...she had asked for help.

Thankfully, the girl working there had been especially sincere and helpful, helping her to choose a few things that felt really good wearing and - she was assured - looked very good on her. Most she had in the bag on her arm, while one set she was actually wearing back to the Tower under her clothes. She idly wondered how Garfield would react to it when she changed for bed that night...she also wondered how the other Titans would react when the credit card bill came back.

Suddenly, she sensed danger approaching, and lunged to the side. A searing blast of heat impacted the ground where she had been standing. She reached for her communicator, and dodged again, narrowly avoiding the next blast. She silently thanked Robin for all those training sessions for sensing threats not connected to the ground.

"Well, you're certainly better at dodging then you used to be," a cold voice said from above her.

"Azula!" Toph cried out, thrusting Earth up towards the voice. It didn't hit anything.

"But you're just as limited as you always were. It's hard to believe we're related."

Toph gritted her teeth, flipping her communicator open on wide broadcast. "What do you want, Azula?" she called up to her.

"Oh, that's easy." Azula's voice was in front of her, but she still wasn't touching the ground. "You do remember that my Uncle Iroh was my father's OLDER brother, yes?"

"What of it?"

"That means that - if not for my father's machinations - had the discovery of your true paternity come out, Iroh would have been Fire Lord...and YOU after him. In short, someone heavily technical on the laws of succesion could say that YOU are ahead of ME in the line to be Fire Lord. ...I don't really like that."

Toph blinked. She hadn't thought about that at all, about Iroh being her father meaning she was fire nation royalty. It just never registered. "So what? I never cared about my social standing before, why should I start now?"

"Because not starting will get you dead. Because I don't like you being ahead of me in the line for the throne. Because I am doing something about it...by challenging you to an Agni Kai!"

Toph stepped back. "But...I'm not a fire bender!"

"You are a bender, though...and the child of a fire bender. Hardly my fault if you're somewhat...limited."

Toph snarled. Inside, she felt something flicker, a heat that seemed somewhat familiar.

The battle began in earnest. Toph tried to protect herself with Earth and metal, lashing out with same, but the Earth came too slowly. Despite Azula's constant shouted taunts, Toph was barely able to track her as she practically danced through the air. With each thrown taunt, the heat inside Toph seemed to grow as her rage increased. The rage made her start to lose her focus on her Earth Bending, and she began to lash out blindly.

A blast of fire nearly caught her, searing her across the back of her midriff. She cried out in pain, staggering forward.

"You are pathetic. Nothing more than a little blind girl with delusions of grandeur." Azula smirked down at her defeated opponent. "Where's your fire now? Oh, that's right...you don't have any." She launched a blast of blue fire, intent on finishing her opponent off.

Toph turned, screaming in rage...and a blast of green fire erupted from her outthrust fist, punching through Azula's blast and searing her across the face.

"What the-" Azula shouted as she barely evaded before losing her head entirely. If not for her enhanced healing courtesy of Trigon, she would now have a scar that matched her brother's.

Toph stood stock still, seeming to stare at her outstretched fist. She had felt it...her rage had peaked, and fire had erupted from within. She...she had bent fire.

Azula snarled. "Impossible!" she cried, readying to bend even more fire to slam Toph into submission.

Toph delved deep inside herself. She remembered everything Zuko and Aang had discussed about fire bending, and what Iroh had said as well. Rage could drive it...but that was the fire Azula had, and that was a rage she couldn't match. The key was drive, knowing what you wanted to do and doing whatever it took to do it. Your goal, your mission, your vision if you will...what you wanted out of life.

Deep inside, Toph filled her mind and heart with Garfield Mark Logan.

Azula threw a wave of blue fire with a core of red light. Toph threw her fist forward, and a wave of green fire with a white core impacted against the flames, and the combined energies exploded as neither could overcome the other.

Toph recalled the steps of the firebending form Zuko and Aang had practiced: the Dancing Dragon. She began the steps, letting the fire fill her.

Azula didn't recognize the form, and was unable to anticipate Toph's movements. Several blasts of green fire caught her, and she noticed ehr regeneration starting to slow.

Then Toph came up close, completing the dance thrusting her fists forward into Azula's stomach in a form mimicing a dragon's open mouth...and released all the fire inside her straight into Azula, angling up.

Azula went flying back, slamming into a nearby building as the fire seared into her gut. Toph suddenly shifted her stance to a wide legged horse stance. Before Azula could react, a spear of Earth erupted, impaling her and pinning her to the building.

Toph staggered a bit as exhaustion hit her. Suddenly she flinched. Azula had dissapeared from her vision, turning into fire.

Azula reformed behind Toph. "Nice try," she said, backhanding her. "But you're all out of power now, aren't you? You really need to learn better control...or you would, if you had any time left." She called forth lightning. "Goodbye, cousin."

As she began to launch the lightning, a large clawed paw erupted from the ground and upercutted her. Azula staggered back, losing the lightning she had formed, and stared at the creature that had erupted from the ground. Toph blinked, trying to make sense of the image her Earth Bending showed her.

*What's a giant Badgermole doing in this world?* she thought, confused.

Azula snarled, and threw fire at the creature...only to have it leap into the air.

"Shapeshifter!" she snarled, as Beast Boy changed form into a sky bison, sending a compressed blast of air from his tail into Azula, knocking her back.

Getting to her feet, she tried to fight back...but was caught off guard when Beast Boy belly flopped her into the pavement. He took off again, and she staggered to her feet...only to be belly flopped again.

When he came in for a third time, she launched fire at him, but he did a barrel roll and evaded, landing in the form of a dragon from Toph's world. He sent a stream of fire as wide as Azula's body at her.

When the fire cleared, it seemed like it was over, and he changed back into himself to go check on Toph.

Azula reassembled from the ashes, snarling. The mark of Scath blazed on her forehead, and she threw her hand foreward. Toph called out a warning too late.

Beast Boy might have described the attack as "Force Lightning". Several lightning bolts leapt from Azula's hand, punching through Beast Boy at several points on his body. He twitched violently...and fell to the ground.

"BEAST BOY!" Toph cried out, reaching towards him in desperation. 


	9. Quest

9. Quest

Azula laughed as she saw Toph crawl over to Beast Boy. She drew more power, ready to blast them both to pieces.

*Azula, enough!* Hellfire's voice in her mind. *You must return now!*

"No!" she screamed. "I have them! I will kill them now!"

*Azula...your body has reached the limit of power it can wield without breaking down. If you wield power now, even your own bending, you will die, too, and I will be able to do nothing! I would not lose my queen before holding her in my arms.*

Azula paused. This last sounded as if it was said with...genuine tenderness. "Fine," she said petulantly. "He'll die anyway. Nothing in this world can save him from that strike." She vanished in fire, back to the between realm where Hellfire could restore her body.

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy, wake up, please!" Toph held onto him gently, desperate for him to stay.

Raven pulled her hands back, looking wan. "I've...I've done all I can, but it's not enough. He's got maybe a day now, but at the end of it, he'll still die. The lightning...it damaged his spirit as well as his body, and there's nothing I can do!" Raven started to cry for her little brother.

Cyborg slammed a fist into the wall. "Dammit, no! THere's gotta be something, ANYTHING!"

Toph's head came up. "Spirit...that's it! In my world, there was a spring at the north pole that was energized by the spirit world. When Katara used it with her healing abilities, she was able to raise Aang from the dead! Maybe there's a similar spring in this world-" Her eyes turned white. "I am sorry," Gaea said through her, "but there is not. Nothing can be done."

"Maybe," Iroh said. "Then again, maybe not. Gaea, can you use your power through Toph's bending to open a gateway that will allow someone to physically enter the spirit world?"

Gaea shunted Toph into the depths of her own mind, grabbed Iroh, and pulled him out of the room. "You are a memeber of the Order of the White Lotus?"

Iroh nodded. "The current grandmaster."

Gaea glowered at him through Toph's sightless eyes. "You know why that secret is meant to STAY secret."

Iroh looked down at his daughter, through her eyes into the eyes of an eternal spirit. "You know the wheels of fate, and what you want. None like Toph and Beast Boy will appear on this world again. If you want your Avatar, they both must live to be together. I will do whatever it takes to save the one my daughter loves, so that she may be happy. What will YOU do, to have your Avatar?"

Gaea was silent, then nodded. "Very well. But who will you send?"

Iroh smiled. "Trust me."

Gaea took Toph outside to prepare. Iroh went to Raven. "Raven, I have a way for us to save Beast Boy," he said, handing her a large flask.

"How? I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Toph is going to open a gateway into the spirit world. You will enter physically. Once you do...ask Gaea for directions to a spirit called Warden. Once you find him, pass through his gate, and find a way back to the physical world on the other side of the gate. Once you do, you'll know what to do from there."

Raven nodded, grabbed the flask, and headed outside. Toph stood there in a neutral Earthbending stance, her arms outstretched. Before her, a circle of Earth glowed with an eldritch light.

"The portal will close once you pass through. You will have to find your own way out upon your return trip," Gaea said, smiling. "Good luck."

Raven dove into the circle without hesitation.

She found herself floating in darkness. "The spirit world," she said to herself. It wasn't her first time here, but it was her first time bringing her body here. Suddenly, something loomed over her.

She floated backward...and looked up into the face of Gaea.

"I know why you're here," Gaea said. "Iroh told you about Warden, did he?"

"Yes," Raven said quietly. "I've never heard of that spirit."

"There's a reason for that." Gaea pointed off into the distance. "Go that way...as far as you can. You will find a great wall. Follow the wall in any direction, and you will eventualy find Warden."

"But..." Raven stared off in the direction Gaea had pointed. "That's the Void Lands. Nothing returns from there. Everyone knows that!"

"Yes...I made sure they did."

Staring at Gaea, Raven gulped. Steeling herself, she flew off in the direction Gaea had pointed.

There was no way to measure the passage of time in this part of the spirit realm, so she didn't bother to try. Eventually, she reached a wall. She stared along it, marveling at the ancient runes etched into it's surface, older than anything she knew how to read. Remembering her task, she followed the wall into the distance. Finally, she saw someone leaning on a staff before a gate.

"Are you Warden?" she asked the old man.

He turned, smiling. "No," he said faintly amused. "I am War. Den is on the other side." Raven was shocked to see that it was only half a person leaning on the staff. "If you know about us, you must want to cross the gate. If that's what you're trying to do, I have to ask you a few questions...to make sure you won't bring catastrophe."

Raven gulped and nodded.

"First...what is your name?"

"Racehl Roth, but I go by Raven."

War nodded. "Very well. And what is your purpose in crossing the gate?"

"I wish to retrieve water from the North Pole spirit spring to aid in saving my friends life."

War's eye widened, but he nodded. "I see...What is the average air velocity of a partially laden swallow?"

Raven stared at him for a bit. "I d-" She stopped. She remembered this one, just barely. "Umm...African or European?"

War smiled. "One who knows the ancient passwords may be trusted," he said simply, raising the gate.

Raven flew through. *Beast Boy,* she thought, as she flew through the empty lands on the other side of the gate, *if I make it back safely, I owe you a serious apology. I never thought that movie would be useful.*

Raven found herself in a strange looking jungle. "A jungle...in the spirit world?" She glanced around. "Well, maybe someone here can help me."

"I'd be happy to help you, young lady," a hissing voice said from behind her.

"And who are you?" she asked, turning.

"I am Koh," said the large centipede like creature standing before her.

"Hello Koh," Raven said, smiling. "I'm-"

Koh lunged for her, only to be blasted backward and pinned against a tree by her powers.

"-not amused," she said, frowning.

"How do you have power here?" Koh demanded.

"Because I'm physically here," she said flatly, glowering.

Koh fled.

Sighing, Raven continued through the spirit world. Eventually, she came across...a panda?

"Umm...hello," she said, somewhat nervously.

The panda came over to her, sniffed her for a bit, then licked her face.

Raven laughed. "That tickles." Raven looked at the panda. "I'm trying to get to the physical world. Can you help me?"

The panda turned and kneeled. Taking the hint, Raven climbed onto its back. The panda took off at a gentle lope that ate up the distance.

After some time, they approached an old man dressed in red. He turned, smiling. "Hello, Hei Bai," he said to the panda. "Have you brought me a visitor?"

Raven stepped off of Hei Bai. "Greetings, honored Elder. I am Raven."

The old man nodded. "Hello, Raven. I am Avatar Rohku."

Raven blinked. "I thought Aang was the Avatar."

"He is. I am his previous incarnation."

Ah," Raven said. She understood about reincarnation and how that worked. "Hei Bai seems to think you can help me get back to the physical world?"

"Can you not simply return to your body?" Rohku asked, curious.

"Considering my body is here, no."

"Hmm..." Rohku thought for a time. "I think I know of how I can send you back to the physical world. Here, take my hands."

Raven took Rohku's hands.

Aang and Katara were on Appa, in sight of the ice wall that still protected the North Pole. They were heading there to visit some friends amongst the Northern Water Tribe.

"It'll be great to see them again," Katara said, smiling at Aang.

"Yeah," Aang said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but something was off. "It'll be..." his voice trailed off, and suddenly he winced and clutched his head.

"Aang! Are you alright?" Katara rushed over to his side.

Black lightning sparked around his forehead, and his eyes and tattoos glowed. Suddenly, they flashed black, and Aang fell backward.

Raven landed in Appa's saddle, opposite where Aang had fallen. "Ow..." she said, leaning over the side of the saddle and vomiting into the ocean below. "Not the smoothest transition..."

"Raven?" Katara was shocked. While she'd only met Raven once, that wasn't a face you forgot, even if it was turning green around the edges. "How did you get here? What are you doing here? And why did you come out of Aang's head?"

"Rohku," Raven gasped out between bouts of nausea. As it subsided, she spoke up. "I need to get to the north pole. Which way is-" she turned to follow Katara's pointing finger. "Oh. Talk about convenient."

As Appa came in to land, Raven turned to Katara. "I need to get to the spirit spring in a hurry. Can you help me with that?"

"Sure it's this way, and-hey! Wait up!" Katara and Aang took of running after Raven, who had taken off in flight as soon as she had gotten directions. She phased through several walls and people, apologizing each time.

At the spirit spring, Raven kneeled down before it. "Spirits of the Ocean and Moon...forgive my sacrilege," she whispered, dunking the flask into the spring to fill it.

The area went dark, and Yue's spirit form appeared. "Why do you take so much water from the Spirit Spring?" she demanded of Raven.

Rather than waste time explaining, Raven simply thrust the knowledge of everything that had happened since Toph arrived in Jump City at Yue.

Yue seemed to stagger back under the flood of knowledge. Then she got determined. "You must hurry. You have already been gone 8 hours. You do not have much time." She pointed to the spring. "You may use the spring to reenter the spirit world."

"Thank you," she whispered. "Hang on, BB!" With the flask filled, she dove into the spring.

Back in the spirit world, she found Yue waiting for her. "The regions you seek are in that direction," she said, pointing. "Be careful."

Nodding, Raven took off, flying as fast as she could. Approaching the wall, she sought the gate. Seeing the gate, she saw that Den was much less forgiving about passage back and forth.

"Forgive me," she said, and her eyes glowed and flared to demonic, "but I don't have TIME for this!" Her power flared out and forced the gate open. Diving through, she flew to Gaea, hoping she could send her back through to Earth.

She was unable to find Gaea. "Something's wrong," she whispered. Deciding she didn't have time to figure it out, she forced her way through, using a variant of the spell she had used to journey to Azarath.

She arrived in Jump City and flew to the Tower, her strength starting to weaken. "I hope I have enough to help Beast Boy," she whispered. Reaching the Tower, she flew in...to a scene of chaos.

Toph sat in the corner, crying. Cyborg was busy reassembling himself, cursing. Robin, Starfire, Jade, Iroh, and Jinx were nursing various injuries. "What happened?" she demanded. "Where's Beast Boy?"

"Tai Lee betrayed us," Robin said flatly. "She paralyzed all of us, disassembled Cyborg, then took Beast Boy. And we have no way to track them, since his communicator was left behind."

Raven went silent. "I have a way to track Beast Boy," she said flatly. "I just hope afterwards I'll have the strength to heal him. How long have I been gone?"

"20 hours," Cyborg said. "Based on our estimates, he's only got 4 left."

Raven flew to her room, then flew back. She opened her hand, revealing a perfectly ordinary penny. "Then let's hurry," she said, as the penny glowed with her magic and flew off of her hand, pointing the way. 


	10. Desperation

10. Desperation

Cyborg pushed the T Jet to it's limits to catch up to Beast Boy, according to Raven's scans. When they got there, though...they were in for a terrible shock.

The first thing that happened was the T Jet got shot down by what looked like...several explosive arrows?

Getting out of the crashed ship, they saw the force arrayed against them. Beast Boy was layed out, ceremonial style, way in the back. Before him, there was an army of the flame creatures that had been used by Trigon before. At the head of the army were three individuals. On the far right was Tai Lee, standing there with a smirk that did not touch her eyes. In the middle stood Slade, braced for combat. On the far left, dressed all in midnight black...was a boy with red hair and a bow and arrow, wearing a mask. Everyone stared.

Jade was the first to speak up. "...Roy?"

The boy with the bow smirked. "Hello, Jade. Miss me?"

Robin glared at Slade. "So you're working for Trigon again, is that it?"

Slade shrugged. "I'm a mercenary, Robin. I work where I get paid." Red energy forms around his hands. "And my current employer pays VERY well."

Cyborg glared at Tai Lee. "How could you?"

Tai Lee shrugged, and said nothing.

Toph stared towards where Beast Boy was laid out, silently.

Robin gave orders. "Toph, Jinx, get Raven to Beast Boy: he's your responsibility. Jade, you take Speedy. Cyborg, you've got Tai Lee. Star and I will take Slade. Iroh, assist wherever neccessarry. Titans...GO!"

They charged in.

Robin and Starfire duked it out with Slade, but they were at a severe disadvantage. He was using tactics against them he hadn't before, and they were being rapidly pressed back.

Coughing up a bit of blood from the last blow, RObin spoke. "YOu never fought like this before!"

"Before, I wanted an apprentice...Now, you are targets, and my employer wants you all to suffer before you die. Speaking of which..." He turned as Star flew at him from behind and seized her by the arm, his hand sizzling. Starfire screamed.

"STARFIRE!" Robin cried out, lunging in. Slade swung the Tamaranean like a bludgeon, slamming her into RObin before releasing her, sending them both staggering backward.

"Face it, Titans. You cannot win today."

Jade duked it out with Speedy, her sai's flashing in the night air as she parried his arrows. She wasn't fighting at full strength, though, and it was clear he was toying with her.

"Roy...I thought you were dead," Jade finally gasped out at one part of the fight.

"So you abandoned me, not even searching for my body?" he asked cruelly. "Azula found me, and used her magic to make me well...and strong."

"At the cost of betraying your friends?" Jade demanded, parrying another arrow.

"No. That was my choice."

"What? WHY?" Jade demanded, shocked to the core.

"For love. For you."

One of her sai's fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers. "What...what are you talking about?"

"Don't you see?" Roy walked towards her, slowly. "Always our relationship had been one step away from despair, because we were always on opposite sides: I the hero, you the villain. So long as this was the case, we were foredoomed to sorrow. But now, I'm a villain, and nothing has to stand between us anymore."

Jade staggered backwards, staring at him. "No...I didn't want this...I swore a blood oath to avenge you! I...I'm a Titan now!"

Roy tilted his head. "Then...it seems we are back where we started...unless you would change sides once more, and join me."

"I...I can't!" Tears fell from her eyes, but she ignored them. "You've betrayed everything you were...everything you stood for...everything that made me love you! You're not the man I fell for anymore!"

Roy tilted his head. "You're right, I suppose. Once more, we are fore doomed as before. Except this time..." A quick draw and a flurry of arrows flew through the air.

Jade was unable to block them all, and found herself pinned to the wall, unable to move. Roy strode forward.

"...I'm no longer content with the games we once played. You're right, I'm not Roy Harper anymore. And I'm not Speedy, either. The name's Black Arrow." Reaching forward, he slowly undid the sash that held her kimono closed, pulling it back sensuosly. "And I'm going to enjoy this."

Cyborg faced off against Tai Lee. He fought with punches kicks, and the occasional Sonic Blast. she fought back with highly powered physical strikes. They seemed evenly matched as neither was able to damage the other. As the fight went on, Cyborg continues to shout at Tai Lee.

"Tai Lee, how could you betray us like that? Betray me? I thought you were a friend!"

Tai Lee said nothing.

"Were you just using us all along? Were you just befriending us so you could betray us? Was any of it ever real?"

Silence.

"I can't believe I trusted you! I can't believe...I can't believe I thought I could love you!"

Tai Lee's face...twitched.

"Why, Tai Lee? WHY!"

The fight paused for a moment, and Cyborg saw tears of blood coming from Tai Lee's eyes.

"What?" Suddenly he stopped. "My god...it wasn't you! Azula's puppetting you again, but more completely this time! And...and you're still in there." His sonic cannon started to shift back to a hand.

Tai Lee suddenly lashed out with a kick. Cyborg cried out in pain. The kick had impacted against his arm in mid shift, and his arm was now non functional.

"Tai Lee..." Cyborg stared at her, at the tears of blood coming from her eyes, her impassive face...and the now visible plea in her eyes.

She wanted to die rather than do this.

Toph took a simple approach to getting past the flame creatures - which, because they floated, she couldn't see. Calling up a sphere of rock to surround herself, Raven, and Jinx, she rolled towards where she could sense Beast Boy.

Raven, on seeing this, mumbled to herself, "Great...now another apology I owe Beast Boy...video games are proving useful..."

They rolled across the field, Iroh snipping any creature that got too close in an attack position. Although fire was useless against these creatures, lightning proved very effective.

They reached Beast Boy, and Iroh joined them, staying a bit back to keep the creatures at bay. Toph raised an Earth Wall to back him up. Raven examined the bier he was laid out on. It was covered in runes. She flinched back.

Beast Boy could hear loud noises around him, but it was vague...at a distance. He kenw he was dying. He wished he could do something...but...

"This isn't good! The runes on this bier...if he dies here - from a blow empowered by Trigon - his death will serve to open the portal! And we don't dare move him now that the magic has taken hold!"

That was Raven...what was she doing here?

"We don't have time to worry about what will happen if we fail, Raven! We've only got half an hour at best!"

That was Jinx. What were they going to do?

"Forget about that! Just save him!"

Toph! He could feel her hands taking his...just barely. He tried to give her a reassuring squeeze.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Raven's magic touched him, attempting to heal him. It felt soothing...and something was strengthening it, but...he still felt himself slipping away, something pulling him back...

He just wanted to rest...

"It's no good!" That was Raven. "The animals inside him...they've already accepted death! He's trying to hold on, but he's fighting his injuries and half his being! He's...he's not strong enough!"

Is that what was happening? Was that the weight on him, pulling him down? But...he didn't want to die...just rest for a bit...

"Garfield, don't you dare! Don't you dare die on me!"

Toph...he felt teardrops touch his face. She was crying? Because of him? No! He couldn't let that be.

Desperately, he struggled, trying to claw his way out of the darkness. The Beast was there beside him, struggling to gather strength...but the weight of death was so strong...the Beast had already tasted its own failure...

"We need something...something the animals inside him will respond to to overcome death. If they all start to fight to live, I'll be able to heal him!"

That was Raven. But...what could make every animal inside him join the fight to survive, when so many already just wanted to sleep.

What were the primary animal instinctive motivators? Sleep...food...

Suddenly, Jinx' voice pierced the fog.

"Say, Toph, was that a Frederick's of Hollywood bag you were carrying when we brought you back after your figth with Azula?"

...say what?

"Jinx...now's really not the time to-"

"Wait...Toph, you went lingere shopping? Just what were you planning before this all started?"

"Nothing, Raven! I just...what Jinx said about it..."

"Wow, I'd no idea my words were so effective. But why didn't you get us to go with you? I'm pretty sure between all of us we could have picked out some good ones that would have had BB ALL over you."

"...the lady at the store assured me the ones she helped me pick out would do that..."

He could feel his spirit stirring, as every animal inside him began to respond to one of the oldest instinctive impulses in existance...

"Wow...say, are you wearing one right now? Come on, let me see."

"Jinx! Stop it!"

There was a russtle of cloth. Inside Beast Boy's mind, the Beast snarled.

*MINE!*

Beast Boy's eyes snapped open.

He saw Raven leaning over him, water flowing from a flask at her side, amplifying her healing magic. He saw Jinx, playfully futzing with Toph's clothes. Toph was holding his hand, and flinching back from Jinx.

Beast Boy clutched Toph's hand. "MINE!" he snarled out.

"It's working!" Raven said with relief. "All of him is fighting now!"

Slade glanced over. "No! The ritual will be complete!" He pulled back a hand, and eldritch energies gathered. "If one can open the portal...four will be even better!" He threw the blast.

As many of the other Titans screamed out, "NO!" Jinx and the others could only turn to stare as it approached.

There was a flash of mystic energy, and all that was left was a smoking crater. 


	11. Animals Unleashed

11. Animals Unleashed

-I can't escape this hell So many times I've tried But I'm still caged inside-

Jade stared into the eyes of the one she had loved, as he leaned in with that horrid grin on his face.

Suddenly, a bladed arrow erupted out of his forehead, stopping millimeters away from her nose. An expression of irritation crossed his face, and e turned around.

Standing a good distance away stood a young man in lightweight brown armor with wrist guards, and a helmet that covered his entire face. A strange glittering crystal surmounted his belt buckle. Across his back was a quiver. In his hand was a strangely configured bow. It seemed to be made of stone, and had three geode crystals embeded in it, one at each tip and one at the grip. There was no string, but when he held an arrow to it, a line of light appeared between the two crystals at the tip. He drew back another arrow, ready to fire.

-Somebody get me through this nightmare I can't control myself-

He fired another bladed arrow. Black Arrow dodged, and the arrow dissipated into specks of light that dissolved the arrows keeping Jade pinned. She fell to the ground, and watched as the two archers did battle.

-So what if you can see the darkest side of me No one will change this animal I have become-

They traded shots rapidly, one after another. Black Arrow evaded shots with rapid flips, leaps, and bounds. The armored one evaded shots with simple sidesteps, shifts of weight, and shallow movements. Black Arrow was a frenzy of energy. The stranger was economy of movement personified.

-Help me believe it's not the real me Somebody help me tame this animal-

They squared off, drawing arrows back, ready to fire.

-This animal, this animal-

-I can't escape myself So many times I've lied But there's still rage inside-

Slade stared at the smoking crater, smirking. But nothing happened. Then he heard the howl, and looked up.

The Beast descended upon Slade, seizing him by his face and slamming him into the ground. With a vicious kick, he sent Slade rolling across the ground. He then grabbed Slade by the back of his head and charged across the ground, holding Slade's face against the ground, dragging him along.

The Beast had climbed back from the abyss for his chosen. Slade had tried to kill his chosen. The Beast's eyes glowed red. Today, he would taste blood.

-Somebody get me through this nightmare I can't control myself-

The Beast picked Slade up and slammed him viciously against a nearby building, the impacts punctuated by the snapping of bones. Nearby, Toph stood with Raven and Jinx where they had landed safely next to Iroh. Desperately, she tried to shut out the viciousness Beast Boy was showing...but she knew this was something she had to see.

-So what if you can see the darkest side of me No one will ever change this animal I have become-

Beast Boy slammed Slade repeatedly against the ground, then started slamming his laced fists repeatedly against Slade's chest, shattering ribs. Lunging in, he bit down on Slade's side, causing blood to spurt. Slade screamed.

-Help me believe it's not the real me Somebody help me tame this animal I have become-

Stepping back, The Beast placed his foot on Slade's head as he lay there, barely breathing, and began to apply pressure intent on crushing Slade's head.

"Garfield! Enough!"

Toph stepped forward. "You got him. I'm fine. You can stop now...please."

-Help me believe it's not the real me-

The Beast looked at her for a time, and the red faded from its eyes. It ignored Slade and paced over to her, nuzzling against her with its massive head.

-Somebody help me tame this animal-

-Somebody help me through this nightmare I can't control myself-

Cyborg faced off against Tai Lee, no longer trying to hurt her. "Tai Lee, don't give up. I won't."

As the tears of blood fell, Tai Lee lunged in. Cyborg threw his arms open, catching her in a tight embrace, just HOLDING her.

-Somebody wake me from this nightmare I can't escape this hell-

A stary arrow fired by the strange archer impacted against Cyborg, filling him with light. On a sudden impulse, he focused the light on Tai Lee, filling it with every emotion he could pull from his heart.

-This animal, This animal this animal, this animal-

White light poured from Cyborg, and flooded into Tai Lee. Red Light flared inside her...and was forced out. She looked up at him. "C...Cyborg?"

He held her close, tears falling from his human eye.

-This animal, this animal This animal-

The two archers continued to face off, as their arrows continued to fly. The arrows the stranger fired often seemed to miss their mark, but they would either turn to light that aided the Titans or impact against flame creatures, destroying them so they couldn't respawn.

-So what if you can see the darkest side of me No one can change this animal I have become-

They drew their last arrows. Black Arrow drew a trick arrow from his quiver. The stranger pulled an arrow made of light from the star-speckled crystal at his belt. They launched their last arrows.

-Help me believe it's not the real me Somebody help me tame this animal I have become-

The arrow made of light impacted the Black Arrow in the chest. He flinched backward, and was dispersed into a dark miasma.

The trick arrow was a boxing glove arrow, and impacted the stranger in his head, sending him rocking back, shattering his stone helmet. The fragments fell to the ground. Shoulder length red hair fell back, and a familiar face turned a joyous grin towards Jade.

"Hey, Ches. You alright?"

At the sound of the nickname, disbeleif faded in the force of truth. Running forward, she threw her arms around one she thought lost to her.

-Help me believe it's not the real me Somebody help me tame this animal-

"ROY!"

-This animal I have become-

In the aftermath of their desperate struggle, Robin and Starfire surveyed the outcome. "It looks like...we won," Robin said, out of breath.

"Yes," Star said, looking around. Beast Boy had shifted back to himself, and was quite weak. Toph held him tight in her arms, as though she never intended to let him go ever again. Raven was guiding the platform they were on as they headed home, with Jinx clinging to her, having given Raven her energy to allow them to get home. Iroh stood near Toph and Beast Boy, smiling, tears in his eyes. Cyborg held Tai Lee gently, cradling her. Roy and Jade hadn't let go of each other. Seeing them, Starfire smiled. "And we return home one heavy."

Robin nodded, smiling. "Remind me to find out how he survived...once we recover..."

Star looked down at her beloved as he fell into slumber. "Of course, Robin."

In blissful silence, the heroes returned home, to prepare for the next major conflict. Although they rested easily, they knew this was just a victory.

The war was far from over. 


	12. Answers

12. Answers

Back at the Tower, the reunited Titans were sitting around, resting from the struggle they had just been through. Raven had gone over Tai Lee, and proclaimed she was completely free of Azula and Trigon's influence, and they could no longer influence her. She had then collapsed against Jinx, totally out of energy. Beast Boy wasn't much better, and Toph held him tight, as though afraid to let him go. Robin and Starfire sat arm in arm, watching their friends. Tai Lee was cuddled up in Cyborg's arms, still shaking and shivering. It would be some time before she recovered completely from the experience. Roy sat back, his arms wrapped around Jade, who was sitting in his lap.

Robin turned to Roy. "So, Speedy-"

"I don't go by that name anymore," he said simply.

"Alright," Robin said quietly. "So what do we call you?"

"Call me Orion."

"I thought I recognized the bow," Raven spoke up. "That's Orion's bow, forged by the Earth itself and blessed by the stars. How did you get it, and where have you been?"

He smiled. "Easier to answer the second one first. "I was right here in Jump City...5000 years ago."

Cyborg smiled. "So that's why you're wearing armor like Sarrasim's tribe! How is she, anyway?"

"Married now," Orion said smiling. "She named her son after you, though."

"Oh," Cyborg said, surprised. "Wow."

"Out of curiousity..." Orion hesitated. "How long has it been since I...was hit by the lightning?"

"One month," Jade said quietly. "One lonely, terrible month."

Orion was quiet. "I was with Sarrasim's people for five years."

"What?" everyone shouted.

"But you have not aged!" Starfire said. "How can this be?"

Toph smirked. "Gaea."

Orion nodded. "Gaea took me back in time when I was hit by the lightning, to a place and time where I could heal and train, and returned me to when I was needed at the age I was needed, so I lost no time. Gaea also gave me Orion's Bow, and this." He stroked the gem at the belt.

"What is it?" Cyborg asked, interested.

"It's a special kind of crystal, containing an immense source of energy. The arrow of light I pulled from it is but a fragment of the power I can wield from it...but tapping into it is dangerous."

Starfire looked closely. "It looks like there are stars swirling in a spiral inside of it."

Orion nodded. "Yeah...it's wierd like that." He glanced down at Jade. "But...five years back then gave me plenty of time to think...and there was something I knew I had to say when I came back."

Jade looked up at him, smiling. "Yes?"

"Jade, I love you. Will you marry me?"

There was a stunned silence for a long time. Jade stared at Roy, her eyes wide with shock.

He smiled at her. "It's okay, I didn't epect an answer right away-"

"Just shut up and kiss me," Jade said suddenly.

Roy happily obliged.

Starfire squealed happily. Robin smiled. Cyborg pumped his fist, giving a quiet "boo-yah." Tai Lee and Raven smiled. Toph and Jinx whooped. Beast Boy grinned hugely. Iroh wiped away tears.

After a time, Roy and Jade came up for air. Jade smirked at him. "I missed you," she said simply. They held onto each other.

Everyone else decided to give them some privacy. Robin and Starfire left towards Starfire's room. Jinx carried Raven to hers, at this point neither of them caring who knew about their relationship, although Robin didn't notice somehow. Cyborg carried Tai Lee back to the med lab to watch over her. Iroh went back to his room, happily.

Toph carried Beast Boy back to her room. "I think we can call this one a win," she said to him. The bad guys are down three troops, we're up two, and we wasted them big time!"

"Let's not talk about that just now, okay?" Garfield said quietly.

She nodded, laying him down on her bed. Turning, she went to change for bed herself.

Then Garfield caught sight of what she had chosen to wear to bed that night.

"Ugumumimblewhimble..." he managed to squeak out before lapsing into unconciousness, a huge grin plastered to his face.

"Garfield?" she asked, coming up to him. She touched his cheek, and felt his grin. She smiled to herself. "Guess this one was a bit much for you tonight, huh?" Blushing, she curled up to her beloved, and slowly let herself fade into a deep sleep.

Just before sleep claimed her, a voice whispered in her mind. *Never fear, child. He will be stronger tomorrow...* Gaea's smugness would have been insufferable if Toph had been awake enough to notice. 


	13. Behind Closed Doors

13. Behind Closed Doors

Toph was awakened the next morning to the sensation of Garfield trailing kisses down her neck. She gasped and giggled a bit. "Garfield, what's gotten into you?" she asked playfully. She gasped again as his hands began to caress her, seeming to have an erotic mind all their own. "G-Garfield..."

He paused for a moment, pulling back just a bit. She could tell by his position that he was staring into her eyes. Leaning in, he whispered into her ear, "Beautiful..."

She gasped, realization and...other things cascading over and through her being. Then Garfield began to kiss her again, and she couldn't think of anything else.

This wasn't like the dreams. In her dreams, while Garfield had initiated a few times, she had always been the dominant one, guiding and controlling the flow. But now...now she discovered just how sweet and wonderful surrender could be.

Raven sat up in Jinx room, her face bright red, and she quickly threw a sound suppresion spell over Toph's room. She began to feel extremely embarrassed and foolish as her empathy showed her every emotional energy coming from out of the room.

Unknown to much of the team, Raven had managed to fine tune her empathic abilities, so that she would only pick up those emotional energies she wanted to pick up. She had blocked Robin and Starfire completely for some time, and Roy, Jade, Cyborg, and Tai Lee were also blocked, given the nature of their relationships from what she could tell. Anything Jinx was feeling registered with Raven immediately, given how important Jinx was to her. And, given her sisterly concern for Beast Boy, she'd also been keeping an eye on his and Toph's emotional energies.

However, that filter she'd managed to create for herself couldn't be altered mid stream, as it were, meaning that now she'd be stuck experiencing an echo of everything that was happening in that room. She cursed her foolishness for not seeing what was going to happen, since she KNEW about Toph's shopping.

Jinx sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Raven? What's wrong, you look flushed." Concerned for her lover, she reached out to touch her shoulder. Suddenly, an echo of what Raven was picking up from Toph and Beast Boy swamped into Jinx' mind. Jinx gasped in shock. "Woah..." she finally managed to gasp out.

As the heat of the emotions they were picking up continued to swamp them both, they reacted in the only way they could think of in this situation.

Unknown to them both, Raven's distracted state caused her new emotional energies to pervade the tower, effecting others.

Noises could be heard from behind the closed door of the med lab.

"Mmm...yeah Cyborg, right there."

"Right here?"

"Yeah...oh, a little lower."

"Like this?"

"Oooohhh! Yeah, right there! Mmmm...yeah..."

"How's this?"

"GNYAH! Oh, yes! ...oh...Cyborg, you're good..."

A low, deep chuckle.

Roy and Jade had withdrawn to Jade's room late last night and, given that they were engaged now, it was perfectly reasonable for them to 'engage' in...certain behaviors. Roy had learned a few spells in his training in the past, though, and so no sound escaped the room.

Robin and Starfire had dealt with such urges during the night, and the pervading emotions only enhanced their afterglow.

Iroh, walking towards the kitchen for a morning cup of tea, was shocked to find his body reacting in ways he hadn't thought about in years. "My goodness," he said joyfully, "this is most unexpected." He knew where this feeling was coming from, since he knew about Raven's abilities, and this wasn't the first time her control had slipped a bit since he'd come to live here. This was just a LOT stronger than those other times. "Perhaps I shall take tea in my own room this morning," he said, turning back to his room.

Inside, he found his tea set already set up and his favorite blend ready to pour. A young woman sat waiting for him...at least she seemed young, but a second glance told him she was older than she appeared, perhaps his age...or more.

He sat down. "I was not expecting this. Tea?" He offered her a cup.

Gaea smiled at him. "We have much to discuss, Grandmaster Iroh of the White Lotus." 


	14. Challenge and Consequence

14. Challenge and Consequence

Iroh smiled as he watched each of the Titans file into the main room, having finished his conversation with Gaea earlier. First to arrive were Robin and Starfire, arm in arm. Iroh prepared them some food as they sat down, still basking in afterglow. Iroh smiled knowingly, certain he knew what brought on those looks and smiles.

Next came Cyborg and Tai Lee. They walked in side by side, occassionaly smiling towards each other. Seeing the way Robin and Starfire were acting, they both giggled. Robin smirked, and Starfire beamed, blushing. They sat down at the table, as Iroh continued to prepare more and more food.

Next came Orion and Jade, hand in hand. Smiling at each other, they sat down at the table, sparing only the breifest of glances at everyone else. Orion was carefully watching Jade, a gentle smile on his face. Jade watched Orion carefully, drinking in his features. They hardly noticed the food Iroh set in front of them, although both began to eat.

Finally, Raven and Jinx came in, side by side, not bothering to pretend anymore. Sitting down next to each other, Jinx leaned into Raven, sighing happily. Raven smiled down at her. Robin, seeing this, looked back and forth between them, his eyes slowly widening. Finally, he let out a very quiet, "oh," of understanding, eliciting a giggle from everyone around the table and a guffaw from Iroh in the kitchen. Iroh brought food for the latest arrivals and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking, knowing there were two more to arrive.

After some time, though, it became clear that the last two Titans - the last couple - was not forthcoming. Robin turned to Iroh. "Maybe...you should go tell them that it's time to get up, Iroh," he said respectfully.

Iroh nodded. "Yes. They will both need food to reenergize. I will go wake them so they may eat." Turning, he headed down the hall. "They are both in my daughter's room, I'm sure."

"I can confirm that," Raven muttered under her breath, her face in her morning tea.

Not noticing the emphasis on the comment, Iroh headed down the hall to his daughter's bedroom. About to knock, he heard a quiet giggle from the room and paused. Then he heard talking and, despite continuous lectures he had given regarding the habit, he paused to listen.

"So...am I forgiven?" Beast Boy was asking.

"What do you mean?" Toph asked, confused but happy. "Forgiven for what?"

"For eavesdropping that night before our first date. On our first date, you said I'd be forgiven if-"

"I remember," Toph said. There was a moments quiet. "I'd say you exceeded expectations, so yeah, you're forgiven. ...But next time, I want to be on top."

Beast Boy gave off a low chuckle. "As you wish, love."

After a moment, Toph giggled. "Garfield! Didn't you have enough earlier?"

"That depends," Beast Boy said, his voice low and suggestive. "Did you?"

"Gar!" Toph gasped out.

At that moment, Iroh decided to interrupt. He knocked on the door. Toph let off a yelp. "Who's there?"

"Toph, it's time to get up," Iroh said, trying to keep his voice level. "You and Beast Boy need to come have breakfast."

"Right!" Toph said, as a rustling could be heard from within. "Just let me get dressed." Iroh couldn't help but chuckle at the embarrassment in Toph's voice. After a moment, Beast Boy came out the door, looking a little wan, but quite refreshed and invigorated.

"I'm just gonna go get changed," he said, pointing to his room down the hall. Iroh followed him there.

"Beast Boy, I would discuss some things with you," Iroh said, his voice a trifle cold. "Privately."

Beast Boy sighed, waving Iroh into his room. "Alright. What is it?"

"About what you and my daughter were doing..."

Beast Boy sighed. "I know where this conversation is going. Let me say something out front before we get into it." At Iroh's nod, Beast Boy continued. "Now, I know we may have...jumped the gun, as it were. We may have behaved somewhat...preciptitiously. I'm also sure that there are any number of things I could use to excuse our actions: how close I came to dying, the strength of the animals inside me, the power of both our instincts, the near death situations we were in, the fact that it seems like we're losing this war...but I won't." Beast Boy took a deep breath. "What we did...we did because it was something we wanted to do, because we love each other very much, and we weren't afraid to face the consequences. We knew what we were doing, and I, for one, wouldn't take it back even if I could." He nodded fiercely. "I offer no excuse, explanation, or agpology. This morning, Toph and I decided it was time to take the next step in our relationship, and we did. That is all there is to it."

Iroh nodded, musing over Beast Boy's statement. "Did you use any form of protection?" he asked at last.

Beast Boy shook his head. "No, we did not. However, given Gaea's involvement and intentions, and the nature of Gaea...it wouldn't have mattered if we had, now would it?"

Iroh had to admit this was a valid point. "So that is what you mean about consequences?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Which is why we need to go on the offensive NOW, while Azula is still recovering...and end this war."

Iroh blinked, shocked. "How are we to do that?"

Beast Boy grinned. "I have a plan..."

Later, in the dining room over food, Beast Boy laid out his plan. By the time he was finished talking, he was the only one still eating. Everyone else was staring at him, slackjawed...save Iroh, who watched sadly, knowing what was coming. 


	15. Desperate Times

15. Desperate Times

Aang sat on Appa's back as he and Katara flew towards Omashu to visit King Bumi. They had stayed for a short time - shorter than they had intended - at the north pole, explaining what had happened with Raven there. It had been a lot to explain. Thankfully, it was easily accepted once it became clear that it was 'Avatar business', and most people stopped asking questions. At least, most people did. The unattatched men, once they learned that Raven was a real person and not a spirit, kept asking if she was yet betrothed.

Katara looked up from watching the ground go by. "Something bothering you, Aang?"

He shook his head. "Still mulling over what happened at the North Pole with Raven. She never really explained what was going on. I get the feeling...something bad's gonna happen to Toph."

Katara nodded. "I know what you mean. Her urgency was really frightening, and..." Katara paused. "You don't need to tell Raven this, but...I find her a little creepy, to be honest."

*That's nothing new,* Raven's voice said in Aang's mind.

"Raven!" Aang said aloud. "Please don't come flying out of my head again! That was unpleasant."

*For me, too, you know,* Raven responded. *And you don't have to talk aloud.*

*You came flying out of his head?* Toph's voice spoke up. *That must have been something to see.*

"Aang, what's wrong?" Katara asked in concern.

"Spirit world communication," he said, tapping his head. "Raven and Toph are talking to me in here."

"How is that possible?"

"Raven's powers, probably."

*This is too time consuming, and time is not on our side,* Raven's voice said suddenly. Aang suddenly felt disconnected, and his vision swam.

000000000000

He was in the spirit world, sitting on a cloud. Toph and Raven were both there as well. He smiled at them. "So, how is everything?"

Raven frowned. "Azula has teamed up with my father, an ancient evil spirit of incredible power from beyond both our worlds, and intends to help him to gain dominion over both of our worlds in exchange for the promise of ruling at his side when it is done."

Aang's smile withered. "Oh." He got serious. "What can I do to help?"

"Beast Boy has a plan," Toph said, "and it's more than a little crazy, but...if it works, we'll be able to attack Azula and Trigon - the evil spirit - simultaneously, in the physical and spirit worlds. If we pull it off, we'll be able to drive them back and stop them once and for all."

"In order for the plan to work," Raven continued, "I need to establish a mind link between you and Toph, so that you can teach her some things, and so that when the time comes, you can coordinate with each other."

Aang nodded. "Alright, let's do it."

Raven held up a hand. "For me to establish the link, the two of you need to trust each other completely. Once the link is established, it can never be broken, and you'll be able to hear each others thoughts while its active."

"I don't see the problem," Aang replied. "Toph is my sifu, my Earth Bending Teacher. More than that, she's my friend, as close as a sister. I trust her with my life, I can trust her with my secrets." He smiled. "As long as she doesn't think about Beast Boy while the link's active," he said jokingly.

"I think I can do that," Toph said with a huge grin, "if you're able to keep yourself from thinking about Katara for the same."

Aang chuckled. "Point made."

Raven chuckled. "All right." She glanced down off the cloud. Down below was the world Aang lived in...but visible were lines of interconnecting light beneath the planets surface. Raven pointed to a point where a great many of the lines interconnected to a bright spot. "Where is that?"

Aang looked down. "That's the cave of two lovers, one of the paths to Omashu. What are-"

Raven continued. "After I establish the link, you need to go to the center of those caves, somewhere within it that is of great spiritual significance. There will be something you need to do there."

"Katara and I know the way," Aang said, trying to keep his voice level. Toph laughed.

Raven glared them both into silence. Touching a hand to each of their foreheads, she glowed brightly.

000000000000000

Aang came back to himself with Katara leaning over him, concerned. At first, nothing seemed different. Then he felt Toph inside his mind, and knew that it had worked.

*Aang?* she said quietly. *On your way to the cave, I need you to teach me what you did to take away Ozai's fire bending. It's the key to the plan. Also, make sure the chamber you're going to is well defended. Seal it off completely if you have to.*

*Alright,* Aang said silently as he explained aloud to Katara what had happened and what was going on. She immediately agreed to go with him. As they went to the cave, Aang passed the concept of bending a person's life force to Toph.

Toph was silent for a while as she absorbed it. *Alright,* she said at last. *This will work. When you get to the chamber you're going to, fortify your position and wait. I'll contact you again when I'm ready to do my end.*

*Toph, what's going on? What were those lines beneath the ground I saw from the spirit world?*

Toph was quiet for a time. Then she spoke. *Those were the lines of life force of the planet itself. At the point you're journeying to - the equivalent to a planetary chakra point - you're going to bend them.*

The shock of that statement nearly sent him to his knees. "Say WHAT?" he shouted, so shocked he spoke aloud.

*When you came to visit me, the spirits helped you make a portal,* Toph said, her voice dead serious. *With the spirits help...we're going to try and make a bridge.* 


End file.
